(a) Whenever the City Manager reasonably believes any ship has become delinquent in the payment of fees or penalties, the City Manager shall mail to the owner, operator, or agent’s last known address a written demand by certified mail, return receipt requested, for payment of such fees and penalties within 10 days of receipt of such written demand. In the event of noncompliance with such demand, the City Manager may prepare a passenger wharfage fee and penalty billing statement (“billing statement”) for the delinquent ship based on the ship’s passenger manifest(s), or, if such manifest(s) have not been provided to the City, any reasonable estimate of the passenger count during the period of delinquency. The billing statement shall be sent to the owner, operator or agent at the owner, operator, or agent’s last known address by certified mail, return receipt requested. The owner, operator or agent shall have a right to a hearing before the City Manager at which time the owner, operator or agent shall make available for examination by the City Manager the books, papers, records, and other documents pertaining to the fees or penalties for the period of delinquency. The owner, operator or agent may exercise the right to a hearing by delivering to the manager within 15 days of the date that the billing statement was mailed a written request for such a hearing. The City Manager shall establish a date and time for the hearing to be held within 10 days of receipt of the request unless a later time is mutually agreed to. The hearing shall be informal. At the hearing, the City Manager may uphold the original billing statement or issue an amended billing statement based on the information received at the hearing. The amended billing statement, or the original billing statement if it is not amended by the City Manager, shall be the final billing for the purpose of determining the amount owed to the city. If no timely request for a hearing is made, the original billing shall become the final billing.

(b) The City may file a civil action for collection of any fees and penalties due in the Superior Court for the first judicial district, State of Alaska.

(c) Whenever any owner, operator or agent fails to pay delinquent fees after notice is given as provided in subsection (a) of this section, the City Manager may require such owner, operator, or agent to pay fees immediately upon entry into a port or may deny the ship, or any lightering craft carrying passengers to or from such ship, berth or moorage at any City-owned port until payment is received in full. [Ord. 23-01 § 2 (Exh. A), 2023.]